Sasuke Uchiha
}} is a main character in Naruto and has become one of the primary antagonists of the series. Background Being the second son of Konoha Military Police captain and Uchiha clan head Fugaku Uchiha, Sasuke grew up in the shadow of his older brother, Itachi. Itachi was an acknowledged prodigy who was viewed by the Uchiha clan as a genius, whose work would further strengthen the bonds between the village and the clan. In particular, Sasuke's father took an active interest in Itachi. Itachi, on the other hand, was rather ambivalent and full of oddly conflicting undercurrents, acknowledging Sasuke by taking interest in his progress as a ninja when even their father did not, but spending little quality time with Sasuke. Even after Sasuke enrolled in the Ninja Academy, he still was unable to escape Itachi's shadow. Despite consistently scoring at the top of every class, Sasuke failed to receive any recognition from his father, who defined Sasuke's success only in terms of his older brother. Itachi acknowledged the rivalry Sasuke felt, telling him, "We are brothers. I am the wall you must climb over, so you and I will continue to exist together." Itachi's relationship with his father deteriorated further when Itachi was questioned by other members of the Uchiha clan regarding the apparent suicide of his best friend, Shisui. As Itachi's behavior became increasingly bizarre, Sasuke's father began spending time with Sasuke and began teaching him the Great Fireball Technique, a common family jutsu seen as a sign of coming of age in the Uchiha clan. After only one week of training Sasuke (age 7 at the time) performed the jutsu in front of his father, finally receiving his father's recognition. Sasuke's father told him that he could now proudly wear the clan's emblem on his back. Forebodingly, Sasuke also received a stern warning not to follow in Itachi's footsteps. Shortly thereafter, Itachi massacred every member of the Uchiha clan, sparing only Sasuke, saying that he was not even worth killing. In addition, Itachi told him, "You've always wanted to surpass me. That's why I'm going to let you live ... If you wish to kill me, then hate me, despise me ... and by all means flee, cling to your wretched life." Itachi also revealed to Sasuke where the secret meeting place of the Uchiha was hidden and suggested that Sasuke go there to learn what the true history and purpose of the Sharingan was. Sasuke thought he had fainted after this, but later remembered that he managed to stand back up, awaken his Sharingan, and pursue Itachi. Upon reaching Itachi, he managed to knock off his forehead protector. Itachi was seen shedding a tear as he was picking up the forehead protector. He then proceeded to incapacitate Sasuke, who awoke in the hospital remembering only that which Itachi wanted him to. Personality When first introduced during his assignment to Team 7, Sasuke displays a great indifference to his teammates. Feeling that his abilities are far superior to their own, he is unwilling to cooperate with Naruto Uzumaki or Sakura Haruno, as doing so would do nothing to help him kill Itachi. These perceptions are quickly proven wrong, for despite their failings, Sakura is an excellent source of information while competition with Naruto acts as an effective way to get stronger. While he retains a confidence in himself throughout the series, Sasuke increasingly relies on his friends over the course of Part I. As he starts to get close to others he also begins to risk his own life to save them, even though his death would leave him unable to fulfill his goal of vengeance upon Itachi. Although Sasuke becomes content with a life of happiness in Konoha, he never allows his ambition to gain power to leave his thoughts. During the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru noticed how Sasuke's desire for revenge seemed to have lessened, and branded him with the Cursed Seal of Heaven to give him a taste of the power he could have if he kept to his previous path of vengeance. Even when Kakashi Hatake sealed the Cursed Seal, Sasuke began to draw more and more power from it with the hopes of getting stronger. While initially complacent with his development, Naruto quickly starts to grow stronger at a faster rate. This, coupled with his quick defeat by Itachi during a brief return to Konoha, leads Sasuke to believe that his growth is slowing. In an attempt to reassess his strength, he begins to treat his friends as opponents so as to test his abilities against their own. Dissatisfied with his progress in Konoha, and believing Orochimaru holds the key to getting strong enough to kill Itachi, Sasuke defects from Konoha at the end of Part I. Naruto attempts to stop him, but Sasuke, believing the death of Naruto, his closest friend, will give him the power he desires (as he was told by Itachi), tries to kill him instead. However, Sasuke is ultimately unable to follow through with this idea, because he felt that is what Itachi would have wanted him to do, and instead continues on to Orochimaru. In Part II, Sasuke showed that he had stayed true to his original personality. In the two and a half years he spends with Orochimaru, Sasuke's goal to kill Itachi takes precedence above all else; he even claims he is willing to give his body to Orochimaru if it means killing Itachi, but later turns on Orochimaru after reaching the conclusion that he can learn nothing else of value. Despite this lack of allegiance to those close to him, Sasuke seems to be unable to bring himself to needlessly harm those that have nothing to do with his quest for vengeance against Itachi. He makes it a point to prevent their deaths when possible.Naruto chapter 350, page 08 However, this attitude has changed after achieving his goal of bringing about Itachi's death, in the process learning how his brother was manipulated by Konoha's higher-ups, Sasuke abandons all of his hatred for Itachi and resolves to destroy all of Konoha for both of their sakes, despite the majority of its villagers having no involvement in the Uchiha massacre. He also is willing to take the lives of anyone who stands in the way of his revenge. However, after Pain's Invasion, he seems to have lost interest in attacking the village. However, he might simply wish to kill Danzo first. Unlike most characters in Naruto, Sasuke usually does not address anyone with honorifics at the end of their names, like "Kakashi-sensei" or "Orochimaru-sama" (something the Japanese would consider as very insulting or rude). According to Kakashi, Sasuke has both a superiority complex and an inferiority complex. Sasuke has been shown as unwilling to acknowledge when he is wrong or out of his league. When Naruto was showing more growth as a ninja in Part I, Sasuke began treating Naruto as an enemy and kept challenging Naruto to a fight. When he killed Orochimaru in Part II, Sasuke talked down on him for 'robbing the cradle'. Sasuke said that it was the only way Orochimaru could have possibly overpowered a Uchiha. Sasuke also said that the Uchiha were the geniuses that put other geniuses to shame. Part II Sasuke and Sai arc Sasuke debuts in Part II during a meeting with his replacement in Team 7: Sai. Sasuke did not care the slightest and was more interested in Orochimaru's presence. When Sai stated that he might be able to get along better with Sasuke than he did with Naruto, Sasuke froze him with a stare, catching Sai in a genjutsu exuding a large amount of killing intent.Naruto chapter 301, pages 06-07 Sai was amazed that even an emotionless person such as himself was affected by Sasuke's gaze, showing the power of his Sharingan. When Sai commented on how Naruto and Sakura have been searching for him, Sasuke once again regarded him with indifference. Later, when Sai entered his room while resting, he told Sasuke that he wanted to repair his and Naruto's bond together. Sasuke however blew up the room, angered that he was woken up to hear about bonds, drawing Naruto and Sakura to their location. Despite this being the first time in three years they had seen each other, Sasuke showed his usual indifference to his former team.Naruto chapter 306, page 14 Uninterested in going home with them, Sasuke engages them in battle, showing off his increase in speed and improved abilities. They are little match for him, causing Naruto to begin struggling with the demon fox's chakra. Sasuke used his Sharingan to enter Naruto's mind to meet the demon fox itself, finally discovering the source of Naruto's strength and suppressing its influence. Before releasing Naruto, the demon fox warned Sasuke to not kill Naruto, or he would live to regret it forever.Naruto chapter 309, page 06 Back outside, Sasuke decided to finish off his former teammates, only to be stopped by Orochimaru. Listening to Orochimaru's plan to use them to thin Akatsuki's numbers, he disappeared with Orochimaru and Kabuto. Hunt for Itachi arc .]] Orochimaru tests Sasuke's abilities by having him battle hundreds of Sound ninja, a task he completes without taking a scratch and without killing any of them. About the latter, Sasuke remarks that the only person he wants to kill is Itachi. Soon afterwards he attacks Orochimaru, deciding that there is nothing else he can learn and that Orochimaru is unworthy of having his body or the Sharingan. Though Sasuke appears victorious after a brief scuffle, Orochimaru is able to initiate the body-stealing jutsu. Sasuke, however, is able to reverse the process, absorbing Orochimaru into his body. With Orochimaru gone, Sasuke begins forming a team of Orochimaru's former subordinates and test subjects that will help him find and kill Itachi. He recruits Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo under the name of Hebi, offering each something in exchange for their help. They split up to see what they can learn about Itachi's whereabouts. Sasuke soon runs into Akatsuki members Deidara and Tobi. With his Sharingan he is able to counter all of Deidara's attacks, and then questions him about Itachi. Rather than admit defeat, Deidara blows himself up, and it is only by using Manda as a shield that he escapes the blast. Sasuke is forced to rest but, when well enough to walk, Hebi investigates a known Akatsuki lair. There, Sasuke finds Itachi. Sasuke fights Itachi, showing how he has grown since their last encounter in the process. Although it is only a shadow clone, Sasuke's efforts impress Itachi enough that he agrees to a meeting where they will have their final battle. He goes to the Abandoned Uchiha Stronghold, leaving the rest of Hebi outside, and first speaks with Itachi. Itachi tells him about the Mangekyo Sharingan's history and Madara Uchiha, the man who told him the secret of Sharingan and helped him slaughter the Uchiha clan. Having learned all he wanted to know, Sasuke begins a battle of genjutsu with Itachi. Once Sasuke is able to overcome Itachi's Tsukuyomi, they switch to a ninjutsu battle. While exchanging fire-based jutsu, Itachi's Amaterasu ignited the surrounding area and Sasuke. Itachi stops the flames by closing his eye, while Sasuke regenerates any damage taken in the process by using Orochimaru's Oral Rebirth Technique, giving him the opportunity to prepare his trump card Kirin. Itachi survived this technique with his Susanoo. With Sasuke's chakra reserves depleted, Orochimaru is able to force himself out of Sasuke's body, ready to finally take the body he has coveted. Itachi promptly seals Orochimaru away with Susanoo before approaching Sasuke. Rather than taking Sasuke's eyes, however, he only pokes his forehead before falling over dead. The victory he had dreamed of having become a reality, Sasuke passes out from exhaustion. Sasuke wakes up in a cave in the care of Tobi, in reality Madara Uchiha. Madara tries to befriend Sasuke by removing his mask and revealing his Sharingan eye, something that causes Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan to form in Sasuke's left eye and makes him use Amaterasu on Madara, who quickly retreats into the darkness of the cave. After stopping the black flames, Madara then appears again with his mask and begins to muse about how Itachi never ceases to amaze him.Naruto chapter 397, page 09 As Sasuke asks what he is talking about, Madara reveals that Itachi most likely set it up so that the sight of his Sharingan would trigger the Amaterasu he sealed within Sasuke. As Sasuke complains that he is making no sense Madara reveals that it was to protect him, and when Sasuke still doesn't believe him, Madara says how it all must sound crazy but assures him that he is telling the truth and introduce himself as the man who helped Itachi on that fateful night. As Sasuke still doubts him, Madara goes on to explain the Uchiha's history, Itachi's childhood, and the truth behind the massacre of the Uchiha clan: that it was done on Konoha's orders. Itachi had defied orders by sparing Sasuke, threatening Konoha in order to keep him safe and playing the villain so that Sasuke would someday kill him to avenge their family. As Madara reached the end of his story, he stated that the only reason Itachi pushed Sasuke so hard during their fight was to bring Orochimaru out. By doing this, he was able to seal Orochimaru away and erase his influence and taint, as well as the Curse Seal on Sasuke's neck. Itachi had always planned to die at Sasuke's hands and orchestrated everything to make Sasuke stronger, culminating in his own death, thus killing the closest person to Sasuke and awakening his own Mangekyo Sharingan. Sasuke initially refuses to believe this, but then remembers the memories of Itachi that he had blocked out; of Itachi being a loving brother. Crushed by the fact that the brother he hated for so long was still the loving brother he grew up with, Sasuke swears vengeance on Konoha and resolves to destroy it to avenge them both. Hunt for the Eight-Tails arc in Akatsuki garb.]] Before Hebi, now renamed Taka, can attack Konoha, Madara convinces them to start working with Akatsuki. He sends them to the Land of Thunder to capture the Eight-Tailed Giant Ox, where they find its host, Killer Bee. The capture attempt got off to a bad start, as Killer Bee easily defeated both Suigetsu and Jugo, and wounded Sasuke by impaling him in the chest with multiple swords. He was saved by Karin, and the team decides to all attack at once. While they have more success, Killer Bee first releases a lot of the Eight-Tails and creates a chakra cloak. When Sasuke fails to use a Genjutsu on Killer Bee, he has his chest completely blown off. Deciding to finish things Killer Bee fully transforms into the beast sealed within him, leaving Taka outclassed. Suigetsu then sacrifices himself to give Jugo time to heal Sasuke by fusing some of his own flesh with Sasuke's. Fearing the deaths of his teammates, Sasuke unleashes his new Mangekyo Sharingan and Amaterasu to capture Killer Bee. Sasuke delivers Killer Bee to Madara (though this is later discovered to be a fake) before regrouping with Taka. While resting, they deal with a Kumo ninja following them. However, when Sasuke tips over a glass of water he learns that he is starting to go blind and keeps this fact from the team. Summit of the Five Kage arc Before finally setting out for Konoha, Sasuke retrieves Suigetsu's sword and has it repaired. Unfortunately, he soon learns from Madara that Konoha was recently destroyed by Pain, who in turn was brought down by Naruto (going as far as to point out that Naruto might even be stronger than Sasuke). After learning that Danzo was made acting Sixth Hokage and was scheduled to meet with the other Kage, Sasuke changed plans to go to the summit and exact his revenge upon Danzo. He and his team then follow Zetsu to the meeting place. When Jugo asks whether Zetsu can be trusted, Sasuke replies that he will use Amaterasu if necessary as there was something he would like to test out. After reaching the Land of Iron, Taka finds that it is heavily guarded, prompting Sasuke to order Jugo to find a less-guarded route. Movies Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow Sasuke joined his fellow members of Team 7 on a mission to protect the actress Yukie Fujikaze as she traveled to the Land of Snow. Throughout the movie, Sasuke encountered the Yukigakure-nin Fubuki Kakuyoku, and defeated her with the Lion Combo. Sasuke used Chidori to damage Doto Kazahana's armor, which led to him being knocked out. He was seen looking out at the newly created Land of the Spring with Sakura holding his head in the ending credits. In a post-credits scene, he is the one who gets Naruto Koyuki Kazahana's autograph. Legend of the Stone of Gelel Sasuke made a very short appearance in this movie: when Naruto was unconscious, he had a dream of him and Sasuke walking towards each other. However, they pass by each other without a word; with this, Naruto wakes up into the battle. The point of the dream, however, emphasizes Naruto's regret over losing Sasuke, and strengthens his resolve not to lose any more friends. Shippūden the Movie 2: Bonds Sasuke was summoned by Orochimaru and was told by him about the recent Sky Ninjas' attack on Konoha, to which Sasuke made clear he didn't care. Orochimaru then gave him an assignment, telling him to go retrieve a scroll from a man named Shinno. Near the end of the movie, he made his appearance just as Naruto was about to finish off Shinno, stopping him with Chidori senbon; by stopping Shinno's flow of charka by hitting him with precise charka, something only the Byakugan usually can detect. He and Naruto quickly chased after Shinno, only to find themselves in a deep chamber with a strange large cocoon that seemed to drain any chakra in the area. It was revealed to be a seed of the Zero-Tailed Masked Leech that Shinno planted. The cocoon then attacked Sasuke and Naruto and was able to restrain them, until they both released their chakra from the Cursed Seal and the demon fox's respectively. Together, Naruto defeated the cocoon with the Tornado Rasengan, while Sasuke used his Flapping Chidori. Amaru releases Hinata Hyuga and the rest of the prisoners as Sasuke and Naruto exit the building, Amaru finds Hinata and the villagers in a cell in the flying ruins and frees them all. They all board a flying lifeboat. Amaru scrambles to reach a launching lever, away from the boat but Naruto appears again and orders Amaru to get in the boat- he would take care of the launch. She refuses and Sasuke appears behind her and throws her in by force. As the lifeboat leaves a tentacle appears and tries to grab it but Sasuke cuts it down. Naruto smiles, and also forces Sasuke off the flying fortress with a Rasengan, In which Naruto blew off the runway forcing Sasuke to board the ship and leave Naruto alone to destroy the flying ruins. Sasuke entered curse state level two and flew off the ship and returned back to Orochimaru, giving him the scroll before resuming his lightning training. He then remembered that Naruto said he would bring Sasuke back. Abilities Sasuke is established as a genius, even by the battle-excelling Uchiha clan's standards at the series' start, excelling at all that he does and finding little difficulty in more challenging tasks. Scoring the highest in the performance tests and one of the highest in written tests, he easily graduated at the top of his class in the academy. His prowess with Uchiha Fire Release and weapon-based techniques surprises Kakashi during their first training session. Madara Uchiha, Itachi, and Orochimaru have stated that Sasuke possesses the unique potential to become much stronger than Itachi or strong enough to fight him (as Itachi himself said in the past), and the latter even saying that Sasuke is stronger than he was at the same age. Madara has also said he has the potential to become stronger than Nagato. By Part II, he develops much of his potential and becomes a very powerful ninja, strong enough to defeat Deidara and Itachi, although his victory over his brother was due partially to an unknown illness and Itachi not trying to win. It can also be assumed that Sasuke has a good amount of chakra, since he was able to summon Manda in a weakened state and Manda being a high level summon. Combat Skills Although Sasuke had skilled with taijutsu since the start of the series, his skills improved drastically after his encounter with Rock Lee. Not only did he emulate Lee for moves like his Lion Combo, but by copying Lee's speed he was also able to effectively use the Chidori.His fighting style in Part II mainly relies on his speed and the new addition of his chokuto, to which he has demonstrated masterful swordsmanship. During his time with Orochimaru, Sasuke's already impressive speed sees a huge leap, allowing him to move huge distances in the blink of an eye, to such a degree that Sakura even suspects he was given drugs to improve his physical capabilities. His increase in skill allowed him to easily defeat, without killing, hundreds of Sound ninja in a single battle without sustaining so much as a scratch to himself. He also greatly increased his speed at making hand seals, being able to do many in a blur. He also showed his ability to throw weapons extremely fast during his fight with Itachi. During fights, he easily observes his opponent and accurately sees through their abilities without losing his calm state, then he correctly chooses the most effective means and ninjutsu to counter them. Also, his resolution enables him to pick strategies in which he requires getting hurt in order to defeat the enemy, thereby showing tremendous endurance and willpower. In the [[Naruto Shippūden 2: Bonds|second Shippūden movie]], Sasuke demonstrated tremendous knowledge in regards to human physiology, as evidenced by his ability to affect a person's chakra network. He was able to attack and block the chakra points, rendering the target unable to mold chakra without serious repercussions. In the Naruto Databook, it said that Sasuke deduces a jutsu's elemental property from the seals performed by its user. He is then able to determine the attack's range from the color of the chakra. Cursed Seal An important aspect of Sasuke's growth as a shinobi in Part I is his acquisition of the Cursed Seal of Heaven. Orochimaru, recognizing his potential, bestowed the seal on him as a gift in order to grant him greater strength and entice him to seek Orochimaru for further power. Initially, Sasuke suppresses the seal on Kakashi's advice, but later on, his frustration with his inadequate strength forces him to rely upon its power in battles. When activated, the Curse Seal grants him enhanced speed, strength, durability and chakra. However, it corrupts both his body and his mind, giving him a darker personality and making him vulnerable to Orochimaru's influence. After defecting from Konoha, with the help of the Sound Four Sasuke advances his Cursed Seal to Level 2, allowing it to cover his entire body. This grants him power comparable to One-Tailed Naruto. The second level of the Cursed Seal turns Sasuke's skin dark grey, lengthens his hair without losing its style, and gives him hand-shaped wings on his back that give him the ability to glide and momentarily hover. In this form, not only are his physical attributes increased, but his techniques are also enhanced by the Curse Seal's dark chakra. However, this form corrodes his body at a much faster rate, so he cannot use it for prolonged periods. In Part II, Sasuke gains complete control and mastery over the Cursed Seal, and can even access its power without fully activating it. He also greatly extended the time he can stay in the Cursed Seal Level 2 form. Since Itachi has now sealed Orochimaru, the Cursed Seal was removed from him. Snake Techniques Orochimaru gave Sasuke the contract to use the Summoning Technique for snakes such as Manda. Sasuke can also use Snake Authority Spell to summon snakes from his hands to attack or bind opponents. After absorbing Orochimaru, Sasuke gains access to Orochimaru's regenerative powers that allow him to heal at a much faster rate than usual. He is also able to summon snakes from any part of his body and use Orochimaru's Oral Rebirth Technique to shed his skin, repairing any damage to his body. After Itachi seals Orochimaru away, his Cursed Seal is removed and it is implied he loses these additional powers. Elemental Techniques Proving himself a true genius ninja and member of the Uchiha, Sasuke has repeatedly shown great proficiency in fire-based jutsu. By the age of 7, he had already mastered his clan's rite of passage jutsu, the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. Even Kakashi was amazed at such a feat as, according to him, Genin usually require much more experience and developed chakra to perform elemental techniques. To encourage Sasuke not to use the Cursed Seal, Kakashi teaches him how to use the Chidori, made more effective when combined with his Sharingan and the speed he had copied from Rock Lee. With this combination, Sasuke can punch through the strongest obstacles with relative ease, as well as severely damage any opponent. In Part I, Sasuke is limited to using the attack only twice a day, with a third usage after the initial activation of his Cursed Seal. .]] Over the timeskip, Sasuke puts great deals of development into the Chidori's ability to manipulate lightning-based chakra, being able to perform multiple lightning techniques in a single day without the need of hand seals (showing better Chakra control and Ninjutsu skill). When first seen in Part II he is able to use Chidori Current to emit electricity from all over his body as a shield that stuns those it comes into contact with. He can also channel the Chidori through his new chokuto, giving the blade extreme cutting power and allowing it to numb anyone it cuts. He can also concentrate it into more solid forms like senbon and a sword, allowing him to make more precise attacks. Sasuke's most powerful original technique is Kirin, a lightning technique that uses real lightning as opposed to chakra. If there are no thunder clouds available, Sasuke can use a powerful fire release technique to create thunder clouds. Sasuke then takes control of the lightning, shapes it into a kirin, and then he brings the lightning down on his target. The technique is so powerful that it has the ability to destroy an area of a fairly sized radius. It is also unavoidable due to the fact that the lightning moves at 60,000 m/s. Sharingan .]] As a member of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke possesses the Sharingan, the clan's Kekkei Genkai. It first develops during Itachi's departure from Konoha after the Uchiha Clan Massacre, but Sasuke would later forget he activated the Sharingan due to the traumatizing incident. It eventually reaches completion during his battle with Naruto at the end of Part I. Sasuke is able to put the Sharingan to good use in Part I after his brief encounter with Rock Lee. Although their fight is ended soon after its start and Sasuke is unable to see much of Lee's arsenal, what he is able to copy with his Sharingan is utilized for the duration of the Chunin Exams. While his ability with the Sharingan is fairly ordinary during Part I, Sasuke is able to develop a number of more novel uses for it in Part II. During his encounter with Naruto, Sasuke is able to use his Sharingan to enter Naruto's subconscious, where he proceeds to suppress the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox residing within Naruto. In this instance, the demon compares Sasuke's eyes and chakra to that of Madara, which it claims is even more sinister than its own. His Sharingan genjutsu abilities have also increased over the timeskip, allowing him to easily hypnotize opponents (to the point of affecting someone without emotions like Sai) and control a summoned creature as mighty as Manda. When Orochimaru later tries to take over his body, Sasuke is able to use his Sharingan to fight the process and turn it against Orochimaru. His skill with the Sharingan has grown to the point where he could overcome the Mangekyo Sharingan genjutsu, Tsukuyomi. Mangekyo Sharingan .]] When Itachi, the person Sasuke is closest to, dies, it awakens Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan. He has been seen using Amaterasu and a number of genjutsu while the Mangekyo Sharingan is active, though none of the latter have been named. He has also demonstrated the ability to put out Amaterasu's flames. As with Itachi, Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan damages his eyesight every time he uses it. While resting after his fight with Kirābī, Sasuke finds that his vision is slightly blurred, which shows that he is gradually going blind. However, although available through Madara, Sasuke is currently refusing to transplant Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan to avoid the damage.Naruto chapter 403, page 17 Creation and Conception When developing the original Naruto manga, Masashi Kishimoto had not initially intended to create Sasuke. After speaking with his editor about the future of the series, he was advised to create a rival character for the series' protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, resulting in Sasuke's creation. To learn more about creating an effective rivalry, Kishimoto read a variety of manga to gather ideas on what constituted such a rivalry, and he coalesced these ideal elements into one relationship. Because Sasuke is intended to be Naruto's opposite, Kishimoto is always careful to make sure Sasuke is never too emotional. With Sasuke's character being that of a "cool genius", Kishimoto feels he has created the ideal rivalry. Sasuke's design gave Kishimoto a number of problems, making him the most difficult character he had to create. Because he lacked a proper idea of what Sasuke's face should look like, initial drafts of Sasuke appeared too old or mature for a character the same age as Naruto. Once settling on a proper face, Kishimoto worked on Sasuke's attire. Original designs of Sasuke had a number of necklaces and ties around his arms and legs, a result of Kishimoto's habit of giving characters as much ornamentation as possible. Realizing he could not draw such a complex character on a weekly basis, Kishimoto simplified the design to a basic contrast of Naruto's costume. For Kishimoto, Sasuke remains the most difficult character for him to draw. While drawing, errors and mishaps commonly result in Sasuke's youthful appearance being lost, a result of Kishimoto's inexperience in drawing characters mature beyond their years. Sasuke's hair, originally kept short to save Kishimoto time, has slowly gotten longer as the series has progressed, resulting in the amount of time needed to draw Sasuke increasing as well. Sasuke received a new costume during the final portion of the Chunin Exam arc, which featured a number of belts strapped around his arms and legs. Due to the time needed to draw a costume of this design, Kishimoto returned Sasuke to his original costume in the following arc. Despite the time and energy Kishimoto spends drawing Sasuke, Sasuke has become his favorite character to draw. This is perhaps the reason why he gets the largest number of costume changes in Naruto. Trivia * Sasuke's given name comes from the legendary ninja Sarutobi Sasuke. * His surname, "Uchiha," is another way of pronouncing , which is actually the Uchiha clan symbol. Uchiwa can be used to fan flames, making the flame hotter — referring to the fact that the Uchiha is a clan of fire jutsu users. * In the June 2006 edition of Shonen Jump, Kakashi remarks that while Sasuke is a genius, he is dull to teach because he learns everything easily, compared to the less predictable Naruto. * Although Sasuke's first appearance is generally thought to be chapter 3, he can actually be seen sitting behind Naruto in chapter 1, page 14. * Out of all the characters in Naruto, Sasuke's outfit has changed the most and the most frequently (4 times). * In the Naruto character popularity polls, Sasuke was placed in 3rd in the first, 4th in the second and third, 3rd in the fourth. He finished first in the two most recent popularity polls. * The third databook, which added results from the previous six polls, has Sasuke as the third most popular character overall with 33,632 votes. * Sasuke is the youngest member of Taka (being the same age as Karin and Suigetsu, but with the latest birthday), yet he is the leader. * Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan is the only one that doesn't have three points. It consists of three overlapping ellipses, giving it six points. * Most of Sasuke's opponents in Part II have been weakened by an illness; Itachi from his unknown disease and approaching blindness, and Orochimaru from his host body beginning to reject him. The only exception to this is Deidara. * According to the Naruto databook: ** Sasuke's hobbies are training and taking walks. ** Sasuke wishes to fight against the upper ninjas of Konoha. ** Sasuke's favorite foods are onigiri and tomatoes, while his least favorites are fermented soybeans and anything sweet. ** Sasuke has completed 16 official missions in total: 7 D-rank, 1 C-rank, 2 B-rank, 6 A-rank, 0 S-rank. ** Sasuke's registration number is 012606. Quotes * "I am an avenger." * (To Naruto) "You are one of the ones I want to fight the most." * (To Naruto) "What do you know about me, with no siblings or parents?! You were alone from the start! What the hell do you know?! Huh?! I suffer because of the bonds I once had! You don't know what it's like to lose all that!" * (To Naruto) "Your life was only spared on a whim, but this time, you will lose your life on a whim." * "With my hatred ... I'll turn the illusion into reality!" * (To Madara) "If you think I'm just some stupid kid ruled by his emotions, then so be it. Saying I should follow in Itachi's footsteps is nothing but pretty words. It's nonsense meant for those who don't know hatred. If anyone wants to deny my way of living, I'll kill everyone they cared about! Maybe then they'll feel a little of my hatred." * (After hearing Naruto defeated Pain) "I don't care about that, the five Kage are the problem." References